How to Plant and Grow Basil

Imagine giant bushes of fragrant green leaves, just begging to be layered with tomato and mozzarella, or blended with garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese to make a fresh pesto…

Are you with me?

Basil is one of the most popular culinary herbs, and for good reason. Extremely versatile and widely used, it’s bursting with color and flavor. And its unique taste has been treasured and enjoyed by many cultures for centuries, as an aromatic addition to both food and drink, as well as herbal medicine.

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Whether chopped up and tossed into your favorite tomato sauce and cooked to perfection, or muddled in a refreshing summertime beverage, basil is sure to serve as a flavorful enhancement to many meals.

Ready to add it to your herb garden?

We share our top growing tips for a successful harvest, plus some of our favorite varieties. Let’s dig in!

Native to India, Iran, and other warmer regions of Asia as far east as China, basil has been cultivated for thousands of years. It was introduced to western Europe in the sixteenth century, and shortly thereafter, became a key flavoring component in Mediterranean cuisine.

A member of the Lamiaceae family, basil is closely related to mint, rosemary, lavender, and thyme.

Sweet basil is the most common variety, especially favored in Italian cuisine. Other species and cultivars that you may already be familiar with include Thai (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora), lemon (O. x citriodorum), and even holy basil, a slightly more distant member of the Ocimum genus known botanically as  O. tenuiflorum.

Whereas sweet basil is renowned